Driving mechanism



Dec. 24, 1946. w. E. VAN DORN DRIVING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledAug. 13, 1943 \JNE lYm mm M i 8 v 3 |.1,.v \QR mm WWW v L:\\\- w XX E \w A Dec. 24, 1946. w, VAN DQRN 2,413,158

DRIVING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 13, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 fig-.3 f/s //A Dec. 24, 1946. w, E, V ORN 2,413,158

DRIVING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 15, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 KW/ W/Q Patented Dec. 24, 1946 UNH'EED DRIVING MECHANISM William E. Van Dorn, Pasadena, Calif., assignor to Preco Incorporated, a corporation of California Original application July 9, 1940, Serial No. 344,509, now Patent No. 2,349,315, dated May 23,

1943, Serial No. 498,536

29 Claims.

This invention refers to improvements in driving mechanisms for accessories in transport vehicles. This application is a division of my copending application Ser. No. 344,509, filed July 9, 1940, which has issued on May 23, 1944, as Patent No. 2,349,315, entitled Air circulating system for refrigerator cars and the like, and wherein the subject-matter driving mechanism is shown as driving an air impelling device. Said co-pending case is now directed to the air circulating devices regardless of the particular mechanisms by which they are driven; this present application is directed to the driving mechanisms regardless of the character of the device driven.

The general purpose of the present invention is the provision of driving mechanism, obtaining its power normally from a car running gear, which is easily applicable to cars of all types and kinds, has high efiiciency of operation, freedom from necessity of frequent servicing, ease of serv icing, and which is easily and quickly adaptable to being driven either from the running gear of the car or from an independent power source. Further objectives and the corresponding characteristics and features of the invention will best be gathered from the following description of illustrative forms of the invention. For that purpose reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary transverse section showing one form of my improved drive mechanism applied to a refrigerator car and driving an air impeller, this view being taken as indicated by line l--I on Fig.2;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section and side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1, being taken in the aspect indicated by line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section taken on line 55 of Figs. 2 and 4;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic section taken as indicated by line 66 on Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a section similar to that of Fig. 6 and showing a modified form of traction roller for the driving mechanism;

Fig. 8 is a transverse section, similar in aspect to the transverse section of Fig. 1, and taken as indicated by line 8-8 on Fig. 9, showing a modified form of driving mechanism;

Fig- 9 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Divided and this application August 13,

2 Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section taken on line l0l0 ofFig. 8;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail section in a substantially horizontal plane taken on line |I--H of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged detail section taken on line l2l2 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged transverse section taken as indicated by line 13-4 3 on Fig. 2 and showing the application of the independent driving motor;

Fig. 14 is a section taken as indicated by line 14-44 on Fig. 13.

The drawings illustrate the driving mechanisms as applied to the driving of an accessory which is here shown illustratively as an air impeller unit, a fragment of which is shown at 30 in Fig. l. The unit need not here be particularly described, as it is intended to typify any car accessory which can be driven by the driving mechanisms. As illustrated, the particular accessory is driven by a shaft 40 which extends transversely over the car floor 20 and is here shown as extending outwardly beyond the inner surface of car wall 2|. Also, as particularly shown here, for the easy application of the mech aniSmS to existing cars, the shaft extends outwardly through the car wall and the driving connections to it are shown as being external of the car wall. A shaft such as 49 projects into or through the car wall, a tubular liner 51 may be used and the annular space between the'shaft and liner may be sealed by some suitable means such as the series of disks, indicated at 58, alternately attached to the shaft and the liner. And, as here shown, the outer end of shaft 49 carries a pulley 60 adapted to take a driving V-belt 6|. Pulley 69, as shown better in detail in Fig. 13, has an outer screw-threaded hub 62 adapted to take another pulley 63 for the independent motor drive which may be applied to shaft 40 when the car is not in motion, as will be described.

However, as will become clear from the succeeding descriptions of the driving mechanisms,

although they are particularly well adapted to driving a shaft which is disposed transversely of the car, they are inherently not limited to driving a. shaft in that disposition nor in the particular disposition which is here illustratively shown.

In the form of driving mechanism shown in Figs. 1 to 7, a transverse tubular mounting shaft 95 is mounted directly under the car floor with its inner end rotatably carried in a bracket 66 conveniently mounted on one of the longitudinal girders '61 of the car body. The outer end of mounting shaft 65 is rotatably carried-in a bracket plate 68 secured to the under side of the car body in a position here shown as substantially flush with the outer side of the car wall. Just inside the bracket plate 68 an arm 69 is mounted at its upper end loosely around mounting shaft 65, so that although that end of arm 69 is thus restricted to a swinging motion, it is to a certain extent allowed universal swinging motion. Arm 69 extends diagonally downwardly and at its other end is attached, preferably rigidly, to the outer end of the tubular shaft housing 19. A brace 69a is placed between housing IE! and arm 69. The purpose of this rigid, braced attachment is to enable arm 69, which is confined longitudinally at shaft 65see Fig. 5-to confine the shaft housing Iii against any substantial movement longitudinal of itself. The inner end of shaft housing tube 16) has a pair of opposite perforated lugs 1| through one of which there extends the bent end 12 of an arm 13 rigidly mounted at its other end on mounting shaft 65. In its normal or average operating position the shaft housing '1!) is preferably substantially parallel to mounting shaft 55. The lug H which 5 shown as unused in Figs. 1 and 3 is provided for use when the mechanism is set up at the end of the car opposite to that which is here being described.

Driving shaft 15 is carried in bearings 16 in tubular housing Hi, the bearings taking end thrust as well as radial loads. shaft carries drive pulley H which alines with pulley 69 and takes the V -belt 6!. At its inner end the extended end of shaft 15 carries the hub 18 of traction roller 19. This traction roller, whose structure and form will be hereinafter explained in detail, carries an external traction tire 80 of rubber or any other suitable material adapted to be frictionally driven by the periphery of car wheel 8|. Specifically I show the driving mechanism as driven immediately from the car wheel, as it presents the most convenient driving member associated with the running gear or car axle. The car wheel typifies any suitable driving element associated with the running gear.

To keep traction roller 19 in pressure contact with the car wheel, and also to put the desired traction tension on belt 61, a yielding pressure is exerted on shaft housing at a point between traction wheel I9 and pulley 11, the spacing of the pressure application point between pulley H i and traction wheel 19 determining the proportionate applications of the pressure to those respective members. As shown in the drawings, a coil spring 32, coiled about mounting shaft 65, is

conveniently used for the purpose, the free end 83 of the spring pressing downwardly upon housing 10 at the chosen position, which is here shown as being closer to roller '19 than to pulley 11. The fixed end 84 of the spring (see Figs. 2 and 4) bears upwardly in a notch 85 in the lower end of an angle plate 86 which is secured to the bracket plate 68.

This angle plate 86 also has a vertical slot 81 in which handle 83 may be raised and lowered. The normal position of handle 88 is its lower position as shown in the drawings, but it may be raised and held in its upper position, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, by a pin 89 which may be inserted in the plate 86. The handle 88 has a loop 98 at its inner end loosely surrounding the mounting shaft 65, or the extension thereof which is formed by the stud 65a. A collar 9| surrounds shaft 65 and carries a lug 92. The collar, tubular shaft 65 and shaft stud there all secured togather and lug 92 is positioned appropriately, by

At its outer end this a pin bolt 93. A head 65b which lies outside the bracket plate 68, acting in conjunction with the fixed collar 9| and the parts 69 and 9B, limits longitudinal (axial) movement of shaft 65 and of the mounting arm 69. In the normal operating positions of the parts lug 92 is in such position that handle 88 lies below it with a sufficient clearance to allow the drivin shaft 75 and traction wheel 19, and mounting shaft 65, the necessary amount of motion about the axis of shaft 65 for normal operation, without lug 92 coming into contact with handle 38. Such relation of the parts is shown in Fig. 4. The purpose of handle 88 is to facilitate the lifting and hanging up of drive shaft 15 to disconnect the driving train between car wheel 8! and driven shaft 4!]. Lifting either or both ends of shaft '15 would break the driving connection; it is here shown as being broken at a single point by lifting the inner end of shaft 15 and traction roller 19.

When handle 83 is raised it comes into contact with lug 92 and rotates mounting shaft 65 in a clockwise direction in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. Arm 73 is correspondingly swung upwardly, lifting the inner end of shaft housing T0 and lifting traction roller 19 off car wheel 8|. In this operation the outer ends of housing l0 and the driving shaft 15, and pulley 11, are not moved except to tilt them slightly about a transverse axis which is determined by the center point of pulley 11 (in the position in which it is supported by belt BI) and, loosely, by the center point of the loose mounting of arm 5-9 on shaft 65. The axis referred to is transverse of shaft 15. The parts can be locked in the raised position by use of pin 89, and traction roller 19 may then rotate freely to accommodate the independent power driving of the system, afterwards described.

The casing which encloses the belt drive and affords a mounting for the independent motor drive, is made up essentially of a removable cover plate 95, and an upper end wall 96 and side walls 91 which are preferably formed of a single piece of metal of Z-section cut and bent at the corners at 98. The rear flanges 99 of the Z-section are secured to the car wall and to bracket plate 68. The cover plate 8-5 has inturned flanges I00 along its longitudinal edges adapted to engage the outer flanges ID! of the side walls. The lower end of the cover plate is bent inwardly and then upwardly as shown at I02 in Figs. 1 and 2 to form a protective casing below the drive pulley l1; and bolts or pins 13 hold the cover in place. The cover may be easily removed by removing the bolts I93 and sliding the cover downwardly. Details of formation of the casing and its cover plate may be seen more readily in the horizontal sections of Figs. 12 and 14. Although Fig. 12 is illustrative of the modified form of driving mechanism, the casings for both forms of the mechanisms may be the same and have therefore been given the same numerals in Fig. 12. The drawings show how the belt drive is arranged in a plane parallel and close to the car wall, and the enclosing casing is fiat and shallow, projecting only a small distance from the wall.

Opposite the upper drive pulley cover '95 has an opening to facilitate attachment of the independent drive pulley 63. This pulley, as shown in Fig. 13, has an internally threaded hub I05 adapted to be threaded onto the threaded hub 62 of pulley 60. The direction of threading pulley 63 onto hub 62 is the same as the direction of drive by the independent drive motor M. Motor M has a drive pulley I01 of suitable size, and

theend of the cover.

Belt I08 drivingly interconnects pulley ID! with pulley 63. Motor M is mounted at its pulley end on a bracket H19 which has inturned flanges H0 forming sliding guides for the bracket and motor on the longitudinal edges of cover plate 95. Setscrews Ill may be used instead of one of the flanges, so that by retracting the set screws the motor bracket may be removed from the casing cover without having to slide it vertically over Although other temporary mountings for the independent drive motor may be used, the described mounting has certain advantages in ease and quickness of motor application, and in the fact that the motor is so mounted on the car that it may move gravitationally to tighten its own drive belt.

Whenever it is desired to drive the impeller unit from the independent motor M, it and the pulley 63 and belt H18 are put in place as shown in Figs. 13 and 14. Handle 38 is raised to the dotted line position in Fig. 2, and locked in that position. Raising the handle 88 rotates arm 13 about mounting shaft 65 and thus raises the traction roller 19 off car wheel 8!. In this operation only. that end of shaft housing 10 which is adjacent friction roller 19 (the left-hand end in Fig. 1) is raised. The other end of shaft housing 10 is allowed to remain substantially in the position of Fig. 1 by reason of the looseness of arm 69 at its mounting on mounting shaft 65. Thus the drive belt 6! is not disturbed by rais ing traction pulley 19, but remains at all times in proper contact with the two drive pulleys 6B and ll. If the outer end of shaft 65 and pulley 11 were also raised it would be necessary to employ some means of keeping the belt in alinement with the pulley to insure their reengagement when the pulley is subsequently lowered.

It is preferred that the independent motor drive be applied directly to the upper impeller unit shaft, as has been described. But it may be applied to the lower driving shaft, such as the shaft 15 that has been described, for the driving belt 6! is always in tractive relation to its two pulleys.

In certain aspects of my invention, for instance those relating to the independent driving of the impeller unit, the normal drive from the running gear may be had in any suitable manner. I prefer however to take that drive by friction traction from a wheel or similar member on the running gear, and certain aspects of the invention relate to driving mechanism for that purpose. In that connection the wheel illustrated at 8| in the drawings may represent any wheel on the running gear. Preferably however it is the car supporting wheel, and further features of the invention have to do with utilizing traction drive from that wheel.

In the form of driving mechanism which has so far been described, the whole mechanism is mounted upon the car body, and a certain amount of relative lateral movement takes place between car wheel 8! and traction roller 19 when the truck swivels with relation to the car body in rounding curves, or shifts laterally with respect to the body. Figs. 6 and '7 show how the lateral component of the relative movement between car wheel and body is accommodated.

Referring first to Fig. 6, the tread of the car wheel is shown at Slo and its flange at 8| 1). The rubber or other tire 89 of the traction roller is made with tapering side surfaces 19a and preferably with a flat outermost peripheral surface 19b. The general sectional shape of the tire may be describedas outwardly tapering, and prefer-'- ably with a flat outermost periphery so as to provide a fairly broad traction surface for engagement with wheel tread 8| a in normal operation. In normal operation, on straight-away track, the traction roller 19 occupies a relative osition somewhat like that shown in Fig. 1 and shown at position A in Fig. 6. Relative movement of the traction roller to the left (or the Wheel 8i to the right) in Fig. 6 will cause its lefthand tapered surface 19a to climb wheel flange 8! b .to the relative position shown at B, and further relative movement of the traction roller toward the left makes the traction roller reach the relative position shown at C where its righthand tapered wall 19a is riding the inner surface of the wheel flange. On return movement toward position A the roller will climb the flange. In all these relative positions the traction roller is in frictional driving engagement with either the car wheel tread or the flange. And on relative movement of the traction roller toward the right in Fig. 6. it may move relatively as far as the position shown at D, where its lefthand tapered sur face is still in frictional driving contact with the edge of the wheel tread. On return movement toward position A the lefthand tapered surface 19a will climb the outer edge of the wheel.

In the arrangement which is shown in Fig. 6, traction wheel 19 is prevented from dropping below the position D, in case it should pass further relatively to the right, by the lug 92 (see Fig. 4) engaging handle 88, acting as a limiting stop to th downward movement of the traction wheel. Thus if the roller should under any circumstances pass further relatively to the right than position D, it will :always be held at such a level relative to wheel tread 8Ia that upon reengaging the wheel tread it can climb back to position A; Thetraction roller may thus at times go out of driving contact momentarily when the car is rounding short curves, but it will immediately move back into proper driving contact as the car passes beyond such a curve. The freedom which is allowed the traction wheel in a direction radial of the car wheel, allows the traction wheel to climb and descend the whole tread and flange contour of the car wheel.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 6 the relative position 0 is substantially the limiting position of the traction roller toward the left. By choosing the normal relative position to be substantially that shown at A, it is found that ample relative latitude of movement is allowed without the roller having to reach or pass beyond the position 0 in its relative movement toward the left. And, as before stated, it may pass beyond its relative righthand position D without'any harm.

To allow the roller to pass beyond its relative right-hand position shown at D in Fig. 6, without losing driving contact with th car wheel, the arrangement shown in Fig. '7 may be used. Here the tread body of the traction roller is the same as before described, but it has at its lefthand end a cylindric extension 79d, which may be composed of the same substance as the tread. The diameter of this extension is such that its periphery clears wheel flange 8 lb when the roller tread 59b is riding on the wheel tread 8| a. The length of cylindric extension 19d is such that when the roller reaches such a relative position as shown at D in Figs. 6 and 7, the periphery of 19;; will then ride on the wheel tread; but in lowering tothe position I) the end of extension 7 19d will clear the wheel flange. With 19d riding the wheel tread the traction roller may then move further out relatively toward the right without losing tractive engagement. The extension 19d also performs the office of limiting the downward movement of the traction roller in its extreme righthand position, and the limiting function of lug 92 may then either be eliminated, or arranged to act as a safety limit in the position of the traction roller below that shown at D.

Further, such a traction roller may also have an opposite cylindric extension such as shown at We in Fig. 7 which will ride the periphery of flange 8Ib if the traction roller passes further relatively to the left than shown at C in Fig. 6.

In the swivelling movement between the car body and truck there is also a relative movement component in a longitudinal direction, between the car body and any wheel mounted on the truck axle except at the center. That relative longitudinal movement, as well as vertical movements of the body relative to the wheel, are taken care of by the action of spring 82, and th swinging action of arm I3, keeping the traction wheel in contact with the car wheel.

It will be seen from Fig. 3 that in normal position the radial line R, drawn through the centers of shafts 65 and 75, is approximately tangent to a circle concentric with car wheel 8|. Swinging motion of traction wheel I9 about shaft 65 is therefore substantially radial of wheel 8|. And when wheel 8| moves relatively longitudinally, traction roller I swings (in Fig. 3) up and to the left or down and to the right; and the angularity of radius R and the length of arm 13 are such that in all its positions the spring pressed swinging movement of the traction roller is approximately radial of wheel 8|.

These described movements of traction wheel T9 and the inner end of drive shaft 15 and housing are allowed by the universally loose mounting of their outer ends, at the mounting of supporting arm 69 on mounting shaft 65. Preferably in normal position driving shaft is substantially parallel to shaft 85, and the loose mounting of arm 69 allows all the necessary oscillations of the inner end of shaft I5 about its normal position. In this preferred arrangement the length of arm 69 is substantially parallel to the radial line B of Fig. 3; and the direction of length of arm 69 is, as shown in Fig. 2, transverse of the direction between drive shaft 75 and impeller shaft 60, so that the downward swinging movement of arm 69 tightens belt 6|. For that reason, as well as the fore-and-aft location of the impeller unit in the car body, the direction of shaft 46 from shaft I5 is angled somewhat from the vertical in the relative direction shown in Fig. 2away from a vertical plane through the center of wheel 8|.

It has previously been noted that when the inner end of shaft 15 and its traction roller I9 are raised, the whole shaft assembly tilts about a transverse axis which passes through the approximate center point of pulley I! at the outer end of the shaft and approximately through the center of the loose universal mounting of arm 69 on mounting shaft 65. The tilting movements of shaft 15 due to relative movements of car wheel 8| in operation, are the same. One point on the tilting axis lies approximately at the center point of pulley IT, with the position of the pulley fixed by the length of belt BI and by the factthat spring 82 keeps the belt in uniform tension. The function of spring 82, insofar as movements of the outer end of shaft 15 and of pulley I! are concerned, is merely to keep tension on the belt and to adjustably move those parts to accommodate differences or changes in belt lengths. In anygiven adjusted operating condition the center of pulley I1 is an approximately fixed point. The other point which fixes the tilting axis of shaft I5 is a point which more or less closely coincides with the center point of the loose mounting of arm 69 on mounting shaft 65. Thus the tilting axis is one which, as viewed in Fig. 3, approximately coincides with radius R. And as viewed for instance in Fig. 1, it is seen to lie in a plane transverse of and nearly at right angles to shaft I5, and therefore to lie substantially in the plane of the two pulleys and their belt.

The general functions of the mounting of shaft 15 may be described as follows. The inner end of the shaft with its traction roller 19 is supported so as to be constrainedly movable along a line of movement to and from the car wheel. Th outer end of the shaft is supported so as to be capable of adjustment to and from pulley 60 to keep belt 6i taut. Spring 83 holds the outer end of shaft 15 and pulley H in the proper adjusted position and swings the inner shaft-end and roller 19, about a transverse axis at the outer shaft-end, to follow the relative movements of car wheel 8|.

The arrangement and mounting of the traction roller that have so far been described have been found to allow sufficient movement between the car wheel and body for relatively short cars travelling existing railway curves. For relatively long cars, Where the angular swivelling movement between car body and truck is greater, and with trucks employing swing hangers for lateral motion, it may be preferred to use the form of driving mechanism which is now to be described. This modified form of driving mechanism is shown particularly in Figs. 8 to 12. The impeller unit or other accessory, its drive by the pulley 60, and its drive by independent drive motor M, are the same as before described.

In Fig. 8 the numeral 28 again designates the car floor and 81 the car Wheel. Numeral I20 designates a part of the truck frame. The impeller unit or other accessory which is driven by the mechanism shown in Fig, 8 is assumed, for purposes of description, to be the sam as before described, the belt 6| of Fig. 8 driving the impeller unit in the same manner. The casing enclosing the belt drive is made up in substantially the same manner as has been described.

A tubular bearing member I2I is mounted on brackets I22 which are for convenience mounted upon a mounting plate I23 that is welded to truck frame I20. A carrier shaft I24 is rotatable in bearing sleeve I2I and carries a radial arm I25 at its end adjacent car wheel 8|. The outer end of this arm carries a bearing housing I26 within which there is an annular rubber or similar sleeve I2'l in which the ball bearing I28 is carried. The outer race ring of the ball bearing is recessed into the inner surface of ring I21 as shown at I29, and that recessing enables the bearing to resist end thrust to a sufiiciente extent, although the bearing is free to take proper alinement to the extent that is necessary in the operation of the device. Bearing I28 carries a hub sleev I30 through which the non-circular shaft I3I has slidable driving engagement. Traction roller I32 with its tread I33 is mounted on hub sleeve I30. Tread I33 is preferably of rubber or some good traction material and has a broad tread face sleeve I38.

tween the car body and truck are allowed by the 9. which is made slightly conical to conform tothe slightly conic shape of car wheel tread 8Ia. A coil spring I35 surrounds bearing tube I2I with its stationary end I35 bearing upon the mountin plate I23, and its moving end I31 hooks over the arm I25 to force the arm and the traction wheel toward the car wheel.

A handle I38 has its inner end I39 loosely mounted about mounting shaft I24, and is loosely held in place on the shaft by a collar I40. Collar I43 carries a handle engageable lug MI in such a position as to allow suificient angular movement of shaft I24 to accommodate normal movement of the traction roller in following the car wheeL- The swinging movements of arm I25 to make roller I32 follow the wheel are, in this design, relatively small. Other than to accommodate wear, substantially the only movements of roller I 32 are those due to relatively vertical movement between the Wheel and truck and those due to the longitudinal component of swivelling movements. And those due to the latter movements are again comparatively small because bearing I28 is close to roller I 32. roller may be raised off the car wheel by elevating handle I38, and may be held in that position by inserting pin I42 behind the handle.

The other end of shaft I3I, as shown more clearly in detail in Fig. 12, carries a bushing sleeve I d5, which in turn is carried by the ball bearing M6, Bushing sleeve I45 carries lower drive pulley IIa. Bearing I45 has its outer race recessed at I4! into the inner face of an annular rubber element I48 which is carried in a bearing housing I49 mounted on the outer end of an arm I59 whose inner end is rigidly mounted on a, sleeve II rotatable upon pivot pin I52. Pivot pin I52 is mounted between the flanges of a U-shaped bracket I53 which is mounted, by welding or otherwise, on a bracket plate I54 which in turn is mounted, as by welding, on the under frame I55 of the car. The mounting of both the bearing carrying arms, and the mountings of the bearings in thos arms, are such as to restrict drive shaft I3! against endwise displacement.

A coil spring I55 surrounds sleeve I5I and has its fixed end I5? passing through a lug I58 which is mounted on the mounting bracket I52 (see Fig. 9). The free end I59 of the spring bears against bearing housing I29 in such adirection as to tend to swing arm I55 and the bearing housing and that end of shaft I3I downwardly and, to the right in Fig. 9. The radial length of arm I55 is transverse of the direction of belt drive 5| so that the action of spring I55 is to tighten the belt. And, r

due to the freedom which is accorded both bearings I45 and I28 to aline themselves with shaft I3I, spring I55 acts to keep the righthand end of shaft I3I in its illustrated position, and to keep In this latter described form of driving meeh-' anism the traction roller E32 always occupies substantially the same position with relation to the car wheel, as regards lateral movement. Being carried by the truck frame, the traction roller has substantially no lateral movement relative to the car wheel. Lateral motion of the traction roller with relation to the car body is taken up by the sliding motion of drive shaft I32 through hub And all other relative motions be- The traction universal freedom of shaft I 3! to take, within the necessary limits, any relatively angled position that may be required. Traction roller I32, due to this type of mounting, keeps in tractional contact with the wheel tread regardless of the angle through which the truck and wheel may swivel with relation to the car body. This form of driving mechanism is therefore universally applicable, and is particularly applicable to long cars where the angles of swivelling action are large, and to trucks incorporating swing hangers for lateral motion.

A short analytic summary of the accommodation movements of the traction rollers and driving shafts, in both forms of the driving mechanism may be helpful to understanding certain feature of the invention. In both forms the inner end of the drive shaft and the traction roller are, with regard to movements in a plane longitudinal of the car or truck, restricted to movement which is substantially radial of the car wheel; that is, a movement which has at least a substantial component radial of the car wheel. This restriction is, specifically, performed by swinging arm 69 in the first form, I25 in the second form.

The outer ends of both drive shafts are so mounted that, with some outer point stationary (e. g. the axial center of power take-01f pulley TI or 11a), the outer end may swing about that point in the plane of movement of the inner end and of the traction roller. Disregarding for the moment the movement of the outer shaft end which is desirable for keeping the driving belt tight (and which would be unnecessary if for instance the power were taken off the drive shaft through gears or by a flexible shafting), the movements so far noted are, in substance, the only ones which are necessary to the drive shaft of the first form. In the first form the last mentioned swinging movement is accommodated by the loose or universal mounting of bracket arm 59 about mounting shaft in the second form, by the universal mounting of bearing I43. Translational movement of the outer shaft ends (except in the direction desirable for the belt drive) is restricted by the carrying arms 69 and I53.

In the first described form the inner end of the drive shaft is also restricted against movement longitudinal cf-the shaft, transversely of the plane in which its radial movement takes place. In that form the restriction is specifically the result of the fact that the shaft carrying arms are mounted on the car body; while in the second form there is no corresponding restriction of relative longitudinal movement of the shaft inner end and of the traction roller, the shaft carrying arm moving with the truck.

In both forms of the drive mechanism the outer shaft end also has, in addition to its swinging freedom previously referred to, a freedom to move in a direction which tightens the takeoff belt. The direction of that movement depends on the orientation of the belt. In the designs of both forms, as illustrated here, that orientation is near enough to parallelism with the radial movement of the inner end of the shaft that the belt tightening movement of the outer end can be, and in the first form is, substantially parallel to the movement of the shafts inner end. And in the first described form that fact .is taken advantage of in the very simple form of shaft carriage whichembodies the preferred 11 mounting of both arms 73 and G9 on the same mounting shaft 65.

It has been mentioned that the drawings show the driving mechanisms in their design and arrangement as they are preferably applied to existing cars. n most existing ears there is sufficient room between the external surface of the car wall and the so-called clearance line to accommodate those parts of the driving mechanism that are here described as being located outside the outer surface of the car wall. And in applying the mechanisms to existing cars it is more convem'ent to place them external of the wall. However, the Wall may be recessed to receive the upper parts of the drive mechanism; or the driving belt may even be run up through the car floor interiorly of the normal car wall and housed by an interior housing which may be regarded as an inward recessing of the car wall to a depth greater than the normal wall thickness. Such arrangements may be more easily applied to cars that are designed particularly to take my mechanisms, but they may also be applied to existing cars if desired or necessary. In any such arrangement the recessed wall may be regarded as the car wall for the purpose of my invention and the definition of certain of its aspects in the following claims. Other aspects of the invention, such asthose having to do with the impeller unit in itself or the lower driving mechanisms, will be understood to be not necessarily limited to any location relative to the car wall.

I claim:

1, In a car-body-mounted mechanism adapted to be driven from a flanged car wheel, a tractive driving roller adapted to engage the periphery of the car wheel, means for mounting the roller on the car body in the longitudinal vertical plane of the car wheel and in normal tractive engagement with the car wheel tread, the tractive roller having a wheel engaging tread with an annular beveled face at its side which is toward the car wheel flange, and having a substantially cylindric extension beyond the beveled face, said extension being of a diameter sufficiently less than that of the roller tread to clear the car wheel flange when the roller tread engages the car wheel tread.

2. A tractive driving roller as specified in claim 1 and also including an element associated with the side of the roller opposite the side mentioned and adapted to support the roller by contact with the car wheel flange.

3. In a car-body-mounted mechanism adapted to be driven from a flanged car wheel, a tractive driving roller adapted to engage the periphery of the car wheel, means for mounting the roller on the car body in the longitudinal vertical plane of the car wheel and in normal tractive engagement with the car wheel tread, the tractive roller having a wheel engaging tread with an annular beveled face at its side which is toward the car wheel flange, and having a substantially cylindric extension beyond the beveled face, said extension being of a diameter sufficiently less than of the roller tread to clear the car wheel fiange when the roller tread engages the car wheel tread, and said extension being of a length not greater than the width of the car wheel tread.

4. In a car structure having a body and running gear including a wheel and axle element; driving mechanism for an accessory which is carried by the car body and which has an operating shaft; said driving mechanism including, a driving shaft extending transversely of the car body.

a belt and pulley driving connection between the accessory operating shaft and one end of the driving shaft, a traction roller associated with the other end of the driving shaft and adapted to be pressed into tractive engagement with the wheel and axle element, and mounting means for the driving shaft on the car structure including a pair of spaced bearings for the shaft, a pair of arms independently pivotally connected each at one end to the car structure and supportingly connected to the shaft bearings at their other ends, at least one of said connections of each arm being capable of allowing universal swivelling movement, and yielding means acting to move the driving shaft about the arm pivots in a direction toward the wheel and axle element and away from the accessory shaft.

5. In a car structure having a body and running gear including a wheel and axle element; driving mechanism for an accessory which is carried by the car body and which has an operating shaft; said driving mechanism including, a driving shaft extending transversely of the car body, frictional driving connections acting directly between the wheel and axle element and one end of the driving shaft and between the accessory shaft and the other end of the driving shaft, said frictional driving connections adapted to be put in tractive driving engagement by movements of the respective ends of the driving shaft in predetermined directions transverse of the shaft length, mounting means for the shaft on the car structure including a pair of spaced bearings for the shaft, a pair of arms independently pivotally connected each at one end to the car structure to swing independently in planes transverse of the shaft length, and said arms being supportingly connected to the shaft bearings at their other ends, at least one of said connections of each arm being capable of allowing universal swivelling movement, and yielding means acting to move the two ends of the driving shaft about the arm pivots in said predetermined directions.

6. Driving mechanism as defined in claim 4, and also including manually operable means for moving at least one end of the driving shaft in a direction opposite to that stated so as to render ineffective the driving connection at that end of the shaft.

7. Driving mechanism as defined in claim 5, and also including manually operable means for moving at least one end of the driving shaft transversely in a direction opposite to said predetermined direction so as to render ineffective the driving connection at that end of the shaft.

8. In a car structure having a body and running gear including a wheel and axle element; driving mechanism for an accessory which is carried by the car body and which has an operating shaft; said driving mechanism including, a driving shaft extending transversely of the car body, a belt and pulley driving connection between the accessory operating shaft and one end of the driving shaft, a traction roller associated with the other end of the driving shaft and adapted to be pressed into tractive engagement with the wheel and axle element, and mounting means for the driving shaft on the car body including, a pair of spaced bearings for the shaft, a pair of arms independently pivotally connected each at one end to the car body and supportingly connected to the shaft bearings at their other ends, at least one of said connections of each arm being capable of allowing universal swivelling movement, and yielding means acting to move the driving shaft about the arm pivots in a direction toward the wheel and axle element and away from the accessory shaft.

9. In a car structure having a body and running gear including a wheel and axle element; driving mechanism for an accessory which is carried by the car body and which has an operating shaft; said driving mechanism including, a driving shaft extending transversely of the car body, a belt and pulley driving connection between the accessory operating shaft and one end of the driving shaft, a traction roller associated with the other end of the driving shaft and adapted to be pressed into tractive engagement with the wheel and axle element, and mounting means for the driving shaft including a transverse mounting shaft rotatably supported on the car body, a mounting bearing for the first mentioned end of the driving shaft, an arm swivelly pivoted at one end substantially concentric with the mounting shaft and extending from its pivot to carry said mounting bearing at its free end, a mounting bearing for the other end of the driving shaft, an arm mounted at one end on the mounting shaft for rotation therewith and extending from that shaft to carry the last mentioned bearing at its free end, means connected to the mounting shaft to raise the last mentioned arm and its associated bearing, and yielding means acting to depress both said mounting bearrngs.

10. In a car structure having a body and running gearincludinga wheel and axle element; driving mechanism for an accessory which is carried by the car body and which has an operating shaft; said driving mechanism including, a driving shaft extending transversely of the car body, a belt and pulley driving connection between the accesso'ry operating shaft and one end of the driving shaft, a traction roller associated with the other end of the driving shaft and adapted to be pressed into tractive engagement with the wheel and axle element, and mounting means for the driving shaft on the car body including a transversely extending rigid mounting member on which the driving shaft is journalled, a mounting arm rigidly connected at one of its ends with one end of said mounting member and universally pivoted at its other end on the car body, another mounting arm universally connected at one of its ends with the other end of said mounting member and pivoted at its other end to the car body, and yielding means acting to move the mounting member and the driving shaft about th'e a'rr'n'pivots in a direction toward the wheel and axle element and away from the accessory shaft.

11. In a car structure having a body and running gear including a wheel and axle element;

driving mechanism for an accessory which is carried by the car body and which has an operating shaft; said driving mechanism including a driving shaft, mounting means for the driving shaft on the car body including a rigid mounting member on which the driving shaft is journalled near its ends, a mounting arm rigidly connected atone of its ends with one end of the mounting member and universally pivoted at its other end on the car body, another mounting arm universally connected at one of its ends with the other end-of the mounting member and pivoted at its other end to the car body, power transmission connection between the wheel and axle element and one end of the driving shaft, and power transmitting connection between the other end of the driving shaft and the accessory shaft.

12. In a car structure having a body and running gear including a whee1 and axle element; driving mechanism for an accessory which is carried by the car body and which has an operating shaft; said driving mechanism including a driving shaft, mounting means for the driving shaft on the car structure including a rigidmounting member on which the driving shaft is journalled near its ends, a pair of arms independently pivotally connected each at one end to the car structure and supportingly connected at their other ends to the mounting member near its ends, at least one of said connections of each arm being capable of allowing universal swivelling movement, power transmission connection between the wheel and axle element and one end of the driving shaft, and power transmitting connection between the other end of the driving shaft and the accessory shaft.

13. In a car structure having a body and running gear including a wheel and axle element; driving mechanism for an accessory which is carried by the car body and which has an operating shaft; said driving mechanism including, a driving shaft extending transversely of the car body, a belt and pulley driving connection between the accessory operating shaft and one end of the driving shaft, a traction roller associated with the other end of the driving shaft and adapted to be pressed into tractive engagement with the wheel and axle element, and mounting means for the driving shaft including a transverse mounting shaft rotatably supported on the car body, a transversely extending mounting tube surrounding the driving shaft and within which tube the driving shaft is journalled, an arm swivelly pivoted at one end substantially concentricwith the mounting shaft and extending from its pivot to carry one end of the mounting tube, an arm mounted on the mounting shaft for rotation therewith, extending from that shaft, and swivelly carrying the other end of the mounting tube, means connected to the mounting shaft for rotating it to raise the last mentioned arm, and yielding means bearing downwardly on the mounting tube at a point between the ends of the driving shaft.

14. In a car structure having a body and runm'ng gear including a truck frame and a wheel and axle element; driving mechanism for an accessory which is carried by the car body and which has an actuating shaft; said driving mechanism including, a drive shaft, a bearing mount ing for one end of the shaft supported on the car body and constrainedly movable with relation to the car body along a line of movement to and from the accessory shaft, and a bearing u t n for the other end of the shaft also supported on-the body and constrainedly movable along a line of movement to and from the wheel and axle element, the two ends of thedriving shaft being independently movable along said lines of movement, power transmitting elements adapted to transmit power from the wheel and axle element to the second mentioned end of the driving shaft and from the first mentioned end of the driving shaft to the said accessory shaft, each of which power transmitting means is rendered effective by movement of the respective end of the driving shaft in onedirection along the respective line of movement, and means normally urging the two ends of the driving shaft in-the directions stated. p

15. Driving mechanism as defined in claim 14,

direction opposite to that stated so as to render ineffective the power transmitting means at that end of theJshaft.

17. In a structure having a body and running gear including a truck frame and wheel and axle element: driving mechanism for an acces-- sory which is carried by the body and which has an actuating shaft; said mechanism including, a unitary driving shaft and journals therefor, a belt pulley on one end of the shaft, journal mounting arm means pivotally supported on the car body and supporting the shaft journals for swinging of the other end of the driving shaft toward and from the wheel and axle element about an axis transverse of the driving shaft which axis passes approximately through the cen ter of the belt pulley, a belt pulley on the accessory actuating shaft and a driving belt encompassing the two pulleys to transmit power from the driving shaft to the accessory actutaing shaft, a power transmitting element carried by the swinging end of the shaft and adapted to be placed in effective power receiving relation to the wheel and axle element by swingin of the shaft in one direction about said axis, and yielding means tending to swing the shaft in said direction about said axis, all whereby the tightness of the driving belt remains substantially constant throughout the swinging movement of the drive shaft.

.18. Driving mechanism as defined in claim 1'7 and in which the power transmitting element on the "swinging end of the driving shaft is a traction roller adapted to be placed in tractive engagement with said element by swinging toward said element.

19.. Driving mechanism as defined in claim 17, and also includin manually operable means for swinging the driving shaft in an opposite directi'on to render ineffective the power transmitting element carried by the swinging end of the shaft.

20. In a car structure having a body and running gear including a truck frame and wheel and axle element; driving mechanism for an accessory which is carried by the body and which has an actuating shaft; said mechanism including, a

belt pulley on the accessory actuating shaft, a unitary driving shaft, a traction roller mounted on one end of the driving shaft, a belt pulley on the driving shaft near the other end thereof and lying in the plane of the first mentioned pulley, a transmission belt drivingly connecting the two pulleys, said driving shaft being mounted on the and also including manually operable means for swinging the driving shaft in a direction to disengage the traction roller from the wheel and axle element.

22. In a car having a body, and running gear including a truck frame and a wheel and axle element; driving mechanism for an accessory which is carried by the car body; said driving mechanism including, a rigid driving shaft, a universal bearing for one end of the driving shaft supported on the car body, a universal bearing for the other end of the driving shaft, means supporting the second mentioned bearing on the truck frame for movement along a line of movement to and from the wheel and axle element, means adapted to transmit power from the wheel and axle element to the second mentioned end of the driving shaft and rendered effective by movement of that end of the driving shaft in one direction along said line of movement, said power transmitting means including a rotary power transmission element which is rotatively fixed on the shaft in axial alinement therewith, means normally urging the second mentioned bearing in said direction, and power transmitting means connecting the first mentioned end of the driving shaft to the said accessory.

23. In a car structure having a body and running gear including a wheel and axle element; driving mechanism for an accessory which is carried by the car body and which has an operating shaft; said driving mechanism including, a driving shaft extending transversely of the car body, a belt and pulley driving connection between the accessory operating shaft and one end of the driving shaft, a traction roller associated with the other end of the driving shaft and adapted to be pressed into tractive engagement with the wheel and axle element, and mounting means for the driving shaft including, an arm pivotally mounted on the car body and carrying at its free end a universally swivelling bearing for the first mentioned end of the driving shaft, yielding means tending to rotate said arm and to move said end of the driving shaft in a direction away from the said accessory operating shaft to tension the belt connecting that shaft with the driving shaft, a transverse mounting shaft journalled on the running gear, an arm fixed to the mounting shaft and carrying at its free end a universally swivelling bearing for the second mentioned end of the driving shaft, yielding means tending to move the last mentioned bearing and its end of the driving shaft toward the running gear wheel, and means connected with the mounting shaft for rotating it to move the last mentioned arm and bearing away from said wheel.

24. In a car structure having abody and running gear including a wheel and axle element; driving mechanism for an accessory which is carried by the car body and which has an operating shaft; said driving mechanism including, a rigid driving shaft extending transversely of the car body, mounting means for the driving shaft on the carstructure including a pair of spaced bearings for the shaft, a pair of shaft supporting arms each 'supportingly connected at one end to one of the shaft bearings, one of said arms being pivotally connected at its other end to the car body and the other one of said arms being independently pivotally connected to the running gear, at least one of said connections of each arm being capable of allowing universal swivelling movement, driving connection between the "accesi7 'sory operating shaft and one end of the driving shaft, and driving connection between the Wheel and axle element and the other end of the driving shaft including a rotary power transmission element which is rctatively fixed on the shaft in axial alinement therewith.

25. In a car structure havin a body and running gear including a wheel and axle element; driving mechanism for an accessory which is carried by the car body and which has an operating shaft; said driving mechanism including, a driving shaft extending transversely of the car body, mounting means for the driving shaft including an arm pivotally mounted on the car body and carrying at its free end a universally swivelling bearing for one end of the driving shaft, yielding means tending to rotate said arm in one direction about its pivot to correspondingly move the associated end of the driving shaft, driving connection between said end of the driving shaft and the accessory shaft which is rendered effective by movement of that end of the shaft in said direction, the mounting means for the driving shaft also including an arm pivotally mounted on the running gear and carrying at its free end a universally swivelling bearing for the other end of the driving shaft, yielding means tending to rotate said arm in one direction about its pivot to correspondingly move the associated end of the driving shaft, and driving connection between the last mentioned end of the driving shaft and the wheel and axle element which is rendered effective by movement of that end of the shaft in said direction.

26. Driving mechanism as specified in claim 25, and also including manually operable means for moving at least one of said arms and its associated driving shaft end in a vdirection opposite to that stated to render the associated driving connection ineffective.

27. In a car structure having a body and running gear including a wheel and axle element; driving mechanism for an accessory which is carried by the car body and which has an operating shaft; said driving mechanism including, a driving shaft extending transversely of the car body, a belt and pulley driving connection between the accessory operating shaft and one end of the driving shaft, a traction roller associated with the other end of the driving shaft and adapted to be pressed into tractive engagement with the wheel and axle element, and mounting means for the driving shaft including, an arm pivotally mounted on the car body and carrying at its free end a universally swivelling bearing for the first mentioned end of the driving shaft, yielding means tending to rotate said arm and to move said end of the driving shaft in a direction away from the said accessory operating shaft to tension the belt connecting that shaft with the driving shaft, a transverse mounting shaft journalled on the running gear, an arm fixed to the mounting shaft and carrying at its free end a universally swivelling bearing in which the second mentioned end of the driving shaft is ro tatively and slidably carried, yielding means tending to move the last mentioned bearing and its end of the driving shaft toward the running gear wheel, and manually operable means for moving at least one of said arms and its associated bearing in the direction opposite to that in which it is yieldingly urged.

28. In a car structure having a body and running gear including a truck frame and a wheel and axle element; driving mechanism for an accessory which is carried by the car body and which has an actuating shaft; said driving mechanism including, a driving shaft, a bearing mounting for one end of the shaft supported on the car body and constrainedly movable with relation to the car body along a line of movement to and from the said accessory shaft, a bearing mounting for the other end of the shaft supported on the truck frame and constrainedly movable with relation to the body along a line of movement to and from the Wheel and axle element, the two ends of the driving shaft being independently movable along said lines of movement, power transmitting elements adapted to transmit power from the wheel and axle element to the second mentioned end of the driving shaft and from the first mentioned end of the driving shaft to the said accessory shaft, each of which power transmitting means is rendered effective by movement of the respective end of the driving shaft in one direction along the respective line of movement, and means normally urging the two ends of the driving shaft in the directions stated.

29. In a car structure having a body and running gear including a truck frame and a wheel and axle element; driving mechanism for an accessory which is carried by the car body and which has an actuating shaft; said drivin mechanism including, a driving shaft extending transversely of the car body, a bearing mounting for one end of the shaft supported on the car body and constrainedly movable with relation to the car body along a line of movement to and from the said accessory shaft, a bearing mounting for the other end of the shaft supported on the truck frame and constrainedly movable with relation to the body along a line of movement to and from the running gear wheel, the two ends of the driving shaft being independently movable along said lines of movement, a power transmitting traction roller on the second mentioned end of the driving shaft and adapted to tractively engage the wheel and axle element, a belt-and-pulley power transmission between the first mentioned end of the driving shaft and the shaft of the said accessory, and means normally urging the first mentioned end of the driving shaft away from the said accessory shaft and normally urging the second mentioned end of the driving shaft toward the wheel and axle element.

WILLIAM E. VAN DORN. 

